seen gusts up to 35 miles per hour. the heaviest rain will be between 8 am and 11 am. you will need your umbrella and rain jackets. we have thunder storm chances with the some breaks later today. showers continue into th sday and with good morning to viewers in the west.ning to viewers in it's wednesday, march 27, 2019. welcome to "cbs this morning." surprise and anger in chicago after prosecutors drop all charges against actor jussie smollett. he still insists he did not fake ta attack on himself. a top prosecutors explains why they allowed him to walk free even though they still believe he's gualeelt michael avenatti's first interview since his arrest on charges of fraud and attempted extortion. why he is confident he will be nc >> york suburb declares a nd state of emergency after a measles outbreak and abbans unvaccinated children from public places.

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es introduces youthe women of a mine combat unit at camp pendleton. how they're embracing the challengeses as they change the face of the corps. >> we begin this morning with a look at today's "eye opener." your world in 90 seconds. >> i've been truthful and consistent on every single level since day one. i would not be my mother's son if i was capable of one drop what i was accused of. >> chicago prosecutors drop all charges against jussie smollett. >> mr. smollett is still saying that he is innocent. >> how dare he. how dare him. is there no decency in this man. >> embattled attorney michael avenatti is speaking out in his first interview since being arrested on federal charges. >> i am nervous. i'm concerned. i'm scared. >> a 737 max jet made an emergency landing on its way to -- >> the problem is not related to the two fatal crashes.

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>> while the white house is trying to eliminate obamacare democrats introduce legislation o expand enrollment. >> the republican party will be known as the party of health care. >> nfl owners making pass interference subject to review. >> the president of the united states is not the only thing he's running for. >> what? the train. >> and all that matters. >> video that has everybody talking shows the pope repeatedly pulling his hand away as worshipers try to kiss his ring. >> also good if you add an ice cream cone. >> the pope said no. >> o "cbs th morning." against actor jussie smollett. >> if you're in a position of influence and power, you'll get treated one way. other people will be treated another way. >> on the other hand, isn't it a hopeful sign for america that regardless of your race or

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famous people get off easily? i believe. it's hopeful. >> this morning's "eye opener" is presented by toyota. let's go places. >> welcome to "cbs this morning." a lot of the head scratching going on about jussie smollett. gayle king and norah o'donnell are off so alex wagner is with us. >> great to be here. >> a sudden decision to drop charges are against actor jussie smollett in chicago is bringing angry reaction, head scratching and raising major legal questions. rahm emanuel calls it a whitewash of justice. chicago's police union wants the justice department to investigate. >> smollett was charged with 16 felony counts earlier this month after allegedly lying to police that he was targeted in a hate crime attack. the cast member of "empire" denies the allegations. prosecutors indicate they have

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more important cases to pursue. a big head scratcher. adriana diaz is in chicago with a decision that came with no warning and little explanation. good morning. >> reporter: the charges were dropped after smollett served just two days of community service this past week. and agreed to forfeit $10,000 bond even though we're told the city spent more than 150,000 on his case. in this building we sat down with the lead prosecutor who made the decision to drop charges. he believes smollett is guilty but smollett says the news problems his innocence. city leaders are furious because they say the evidence against the actor is overwhelming. >> mr. smollett is still saying that he is innocent, still running down the chicago police department. how dare him. >> reporter: chicago mayor rahm emanuel could barely contain outrage at the decision to drop charges against actor jussie smollett. >> it sends a message that there is no accountability and that is

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wrong. >> reporter: chicago police superintendent eddie johnson says his department was blind sided. >> mr. smollett who commited this hoax, period, if he wanted to clear his name, the way to do that was in a court of law so that everyone could see the evidence. >> reporter: smollett's attorney said his record was wiped clean of the 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct. each punishable by up to three years in prison. he remained unapologetic while maintaining his innocence. >> i've been truthful and consistent on every single level since day one. >> reporter: prosecutors accuse him of lying to police about being attacked in the middle of the night by two white men who shouted racist slurs. but it was these two brotherses who admitted under oath that smollett paid them to do it. >> i would not be my mother's son if i was capable of one drop of what i've been accused of. >> reporter: openly gay made the report to get publicity in hopes of gaining a larger salary on the

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tv drama "empire." state prosecutor joe mcgatts is the person who made the decision to drop the charges. he believes smollett made up the allegations but says the nonviolent case qualifies for community service and a financial penalty which he says is common practice. >> so you believe he's guilty. >> yes. >> why drop the chacharges? our priority is violent crimes and the drivers of violence. is he neither one of those. >> is community service and $10,000 enough to wipe this clean. >> i feel it is. >> legal analyst rikki klieman calls the latest twist beyond unusual. >> you have a 16-count indictment. and then within a very short period of time, the case gets dismissed by the prosecution and it gets sealed. unusual is almost not strong enough of a word. >> reporter: we're told that lawyers for the city are trying to determine if they can legally

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release evidence from the investigation even though the judge sealed the case. now, meanwhile, the fbi be still investigating a threatening letter that smollett allegedly sent himself in january so his legal troubles are far from over. >> the story is far from over. we have a lot of questions. thank you for that reporting. celebrity attorney michael avenatti tells cbs news he is nervous and scared about the possibility of going to prison but denies he did anything wrong. avenatti is charged in new york with attempting to extort tens of millions of dollars from nike. he is also charged with bank and wire fraud in california. jericka duncan spoke with him in an interview you will see only on "cbs this morning." >> reporter: he wanted to get his side out. if convicted in both cases michael avenatti could face up to nearly 100 years in prison. we sat down with him less than a day after he was released on $300,000 bond. he mains his innocence and told

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us he believes he'll be exonerated. >> prosecutors are saying that you committed extortion, that you committed wire fraud and bank fraud in california. did you try to extort nike for millions of dollars. >> into, and any suggestion is absolutely absurd. nike knew from the very first moment that i had any contact with nike that i was insisting that the truth about what nike had done be disclosed to federal prosecutors and investigators. >> what is the truth? >> the truth is for years, nike and its executives have been funneling payments to amateur players, high school players, and to their handlers and family members in an effort to get them to go to colleges that were nike colleges and ultimately hopefully to the nba so they

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could sign a shoe deal with nike. >> but federal prosecutors maintain a different version of the truth. >> avenatti was not acting as an attorney. a suit and tie doesn't mack the fact that at its core, this was an old fashioned shakedown. >> reporter: they allege michael avenatti attempted to use his platform to blackmail the apparel giant. >> the complaint does suggest you asked for up to $20 million, $1.5 million for your client and at least $20 million and that you requested you be retained to do an internal investigation and that if not you and they hired someone else, you stand to make more money. >> yeah. i'm not going to get into the specs of this. i will say the way this has been framed is not accurate. it's just not accurate. in fact, from the very first moment that we had any meeting with nike, we made it clear that under no circumstances would we

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participate in anything that did not require full disclosure to investigators and the federal government. >> what about the case in california? you've been charged with wire fraud, bank fraud, there were comments you know in that complaint saying that you tried to ep bezel or you did embezzle $1.6 million from a client you represented. >> the client who is accusing me of embezzlement is currently on felony probation in california. you know what he was convicted of? multiple counts of attaining money under false pretenses. it turns out and i didn't know this at the time that he has an extensive criminal background and rap sheet associated with his conduct. so again, nowhere does that appear in the complaint. there's going to be a lot of evidence. there's going to be a lot of facts that are going to come to light. >> you're facing if convicted on all of these charges up to the rest of your life in prison. are you nervous? >> well, of course, i'm nervous.

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>> are you sc e you concerned? i mean tell us i guess as someone whonteond now you're o other facing some serious charges. >> i am nervous. i'm concerned. i'm scared. >> but you also seem confident. >> i am confident because i believe the facts are on my side. >> reporter: in a statement nike tells cbs news when it became aware of avenatti's "plans to extort the company," it immediately reported along with information he shared to federal prosecutors. nike says it has been cooperating with the government's investigation into ncaa basketball for over a year. and encourages can avenatti to share any information he believes he has with the government. in a statement the ncaa said it will "always welcome any firsthand credible lawfully obtained and disclosed information ofndolations." >> interesting when ricky key

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man was here yesterday she said the charges out of california could be the most serious tore him to face. >> talking up to 100 years in prison. i think just his connections to other stories we've covered and now he's on the other side is what makes this so fascinating. > a lot of twists this morning. >> seems pretty defiant this morning. >> as you could see. >> and he had an answer for everything. >> he did. >> but the prosecutors also have documents for everything. phone records. >> video and audio recordings. we'll continue to follow this. >> thanks a lot. president trump is starting a flu effort to get rid of obamacare. >> the republican party will soon be known as the party of health care. you watch. >> meanwhile, the white house still has not seen special counsel robert mueller's report that the president's attorney general says clears the president of collusion with russia. eyener william says he will release more details in the weeks ahead.

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paula reid is at the white house. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. while washington awaits additional details from the they'd h yesterday, the president talked about the need to lower health care costs according to lawmakers in the room. in a legal filing earlier this week, the trump justice department made an unusual announcement that it now supports a full repeal of obamacare, but the white house hasn't offered any details on a replacement plan. democrats seized the opportunity to focus on health care as republican efforts to repeal obamacare helped democrats retake the house in november. yesterday, they introduced new legislation to expand enrollment for the affordable health care act to millions more people. obamacare insures more than 11 million americans it including offering protections for 52 million people with pre-existing

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conditions. 50% of americans view the law nding obamacare to wrap up keeping it front and center for 2020. >> thank you. it's interesting and hhs secretary disagreeing with the justice department's decision for a full repeal. internal fight. >> congressional republicans don't seem that easy with it. many democrats view it as a gift. >> boeing faces new questions about its 737 max 8 jets after one of them made an unexpected landing in florida. >> 8701, we just lost our right engine. declare an emergency. >> crews had to scramble when the pilot made that call shortly after takeoff in orlando yesterday. southwest says the number two engine overheated because of a performance issue unrelated to the software problems linked to two deadly crashes. southwest is storing all four of

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its grounded max jets. there were no passengers on board and the plane landed safely in orlando. today senators are questioning elaine chao and dan el well about the approval process for the 737 max. >> a landmark legal settlement involving a drug company blamed for helping fuel the opioid crisis is triggering a major backlash. purdue pharma, maker of oxycontin agreed to pay $270 million to the state of oklahoma. the settlement allows purdue and its controlling owners the sackler family to avoid a damaging trial and to deny wrongdoing. that has angered people personally affected by the epidemic. tony dokoupil, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the sacklers have given millions to major institutions like this one all over the world. now as part of the settleme

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state of oklahoma. critics worry any settlement sets a dangerous precedent for the 35 states and hundreds of cities still suing is the drugmaker. >> this begins a new chapter for those struggling with addiction. >> reporter: attorney general mike hunter declared monday's settlement a victory despite telling us last year he planned to take the case all the way to trial. >> i have confidence in our laws in a jury of oklahomans. >> reporter: for some people affected it felt like a setback. this was expected to be the first lawsuit to go to trial and be televised. >> i almost lost my life because of purdue's greed. >> reporter: ryan hampton says his addiction to opioids started with a single prescription for a leg injury. now no recovery, he wants purdue too face accusers publicly. >> but due is being transparent

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and open and that needs to happen. >> reporter: more than 1500 states and cities have filed lawsuits against purdue. in some cases members of the sackler family which owns the company are named at co-defendants including a massachusetts lawsuit alleging the family has made more than 4 billion dollars in profits since 2007 alone. >> $270 million? that is pennies to what we should have been getting. >> reporter: a majority of the settlement $00 million will go to build a national center for addiction studies and treat at oklahoma state university in tulsa. in a statement, ceo craig landau calls the settlement an extension of our commitment to help drive solutions to the addiction crisis. ryan hampton sees a different path to justice. >> not only should we be getting tens of billions of dollars, members of the sackler family should be sitting in jail. >> reporter: instead they are issuing statements the families of raymond and mortimer sackler said that the settlement in oklahoma is unique and not a

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financial model for future discussions. the met is reviewing its gift policy in light of the sacklers and john, thee other major museums have already said they will no longer accept sackler money. >> wow. tony, thank you. the nfl is changing instant replay rules to address the most controversial moment of last season's playoffs. owners voted yesterday to allow coaches to challenge pass interference calls and missed calls during the 2019 season. replay officials can also order reviews of those calls in the last two minutes of each half. on field officials missed a pass interference penalty in the nfc championship game in january. new orleans saints say that mistake cost them a trip to the super bowl. nfl commissioner roger goodell says instant replay could be expanded more in the future. our job be to get these right. and we should use every available means to get them right. >> cbs news cameras caught

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caught new england patriots owner robert kraft speaking with goodell outside the meeting. craft has pleaded not guilty to charges of paying for sex acts at a florida spa. court documents released yesterday show he waived his arraignment this week and requested a jury trial. goodell says the nfl will wait for the facts to emerge before addressing kraft's case. >> americans received nearly 48 billion robocalls last year, myself included. heed how one wireless p good wednesday morning to you. we are tracking rain and wind. a cold front is pushing across the bay area bringing the return of the rain and windy conditions. we have seen costs up to 35 miles per hour. the heaviest rain with the actual cold front pushes in 8 am until 11 am.

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isolated thunderstorms through this afternoon is possible but we will see some breaks, as well. showers thursday and drier and sunnier weather by the end of the week.

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we have much more news ahead. a new york suburb takes emergency action to tackle a dangerous measles outbreak. how unvaccinated children are being told not to go out in public. >> nasa faces backlash after changing plans for the first all female space walk. why an equipment issue forces a male astronaut to step in. you're watching "cbs this morning." >> this portion of "cbs this morning" sponsored by toyota. let's go places. , the reigning rulers of the road! let's get ready for spriiiiinnng! not bad. ready for a great deal? let's do iiiiiit! so good. what makes an amazing deal even better? how about that every new toyota comes with toyotacare, a two-year or 25,000 mile no-cost maintenance plan and roadside assistance? ready,

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♪ ooh woo, i'm a rebel just for kicks, now ♪ ♪ i been feeling it since 1966, now ♪ ♪ might be over now, but i feel it still ♪ ♪ ooh woo, i'm a rebel just for kicks, now ♪ ♪ ooh woo, i'm a rebel just for kicks, now ♪ ♪ let me kick it like it's 1986, now ♪ ♪ might be over now, but i feel it still ♪

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♪ might've had your fill, but you feel it still, ooh woo ♪ this is a kpix 5 news morning update. good morning. it is 7:26 am. i am michelle griego. crews in concord are investigating a house fire that left a woman with minor burn injuries.

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flames broke out around 2:40 am this morning. firefighters were able to knock down the planes fairly quickly. santa clarita health officials have issued a measles warning after an infected tours visited 20 locations and possibly exposed a lot of people to the disease. a shakealert will be sent to cell phones in an around downtown oakland this morning between 11 am and noon. the system is designed to let people know there will be an earthquake seconds before it happens. we have news updates on all of your favorite social media platforms, including our website, kpix.com.

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welcome back. you will deal with isis in effe some of the bay area bridges, including the bay bridge, the dumbarton bridge in the benicia bridge. we have delays at least as you work your way off the bay bridge this morning. metering lights are on. it is lagas there at the top of your screen. clockwise, the golden gate is not coming out badly and it is very busy across the richmond- san rafael bridge. we are tracking a cold front pushing across the area. that is bringing rain and wind. here is high def doppler. most of the action is offshore and the north bay. the showers are working their way in across the peninsula.

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you can expect heavy rain from 8 am until 11 am as the actual cold front pushes across the region. we will see isolated thunderstorms with some breaks as we head through the afternoon. and you find the same style you knoyou saw there... ross ...here? that's yes for less. yes!

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say yes to those spring trends you love, at 20 to 60 percent off specialty store prices, every day. .le apparently they say the pope is refusing to let people kiss his ring because he wants to be humble. he doesn't want to be praised like that. the way he yanks his hand away makes it seem like the people are super gross, like, ew, no, ew, not you. ew, no. and francis has quick reflexes. it looks like a weird video game where you have to try and kiss the pope. ♪ [ laughter ] ♪

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♪ >> the great thing is he still has a smile the whole time. he's not irritated -- he's not used to pulling the arm back. >> pope wins. probably almost always. definitely in that game. >> they all want to kiss that ring. welcome back to "cbs this morning." here are three things you should know this morning -- vice president mike pence set an ambitious deadline to send astronauts back to the moon. he said they will get there within the next five years by any means necessary. he made the announcement yesterday at the national space council meeting. he said the previous goal to return to the moon by 2028 was, quote, unacceptable." administrator jim bridenstine accepted the vice president's challenge tweeting "let's get to work." a drug that treats relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis will soon be available in the u.s.

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the fda approved the use of mayzent. the first and only oral drug to active secondary progressive m.s. in adults. the condition is characterized by neurological symptoms that significantly worsen over time. the swiss drug company novartis says the list price for that drug will be $88,000 per year. the "associated press" reports drinking water from more than one million privately owned wells could face the risk of contamination from the recent flooding in the midwest. they are located mostly in rural areas. these wells are not typically regulated by the epa. contaminated water can carry harmful bacteria, raw sewage, pesticides, and spilled fuel. experts say well owners affected by flooding should watch for any change in the color, smell, or taste of their water. they're encouraged to consider alternatives such as bottled water. the family of a man who died in a georgia jail is filing a lawsuit and calling on the

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justice department to investigate what they say is a troubling pattern of misconduct. 22-year-old shali tilson died of dehydration at the da county jai in the same jail less than three months later. an attorney for both families claims deputies at the jail were negligent and says the county sheriff does not have control over the deputies, some of whom have been linked to alleged crimes themselves. demarco morgan spoke to the families suing rockdale county in interviews you will see first on "cbs this morning." demarco, good morning. >> good morning. a disturbing story on so many levels. shali tilson's family says he had a known history of mental illness. tilson's lawyer said deputies used force on him at least six times in jail. he points out that we all have loved ones struggling with mental health issues and warns this could happen to any of them. >> i know my son's not resting in peace.

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>> reporter: his family speaking out about shali tilson's dying in a cell. >> i can't think of the words to describe what i'm feeling. they sat there and watched him die a slow, horrible, cruel death. >> a deranged person at my door trying to kick it in. if t's a former tenant. >> reporter: tilson was arrested last march for disorderly conduct after allegedly beating on a door to an apartment where he used to live. he was taken to rockdale county jail outside atlanta. body camera footage shows him speaking erratically as police restrain him. a lawsuit filed by tilson's family says he was secretsfrenic and in the midst of a medical crisis and needed medical attention but instead was placed in solitary confinement.

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it says deputies neglected their deputies, falsified watch logs, and on the day tilson pressed the emergency button in his cell but it didn't work. >> he was literally crying out for help, and no one listened. >> reporter: tilson family lawyer mawuli davis -- >> the failure of human beings not treating him like a human being. they had video surveillance inside of his cell 24 hours a day. they were required to go in every 15 minutes and check on him because they placed him into suicide watch. >> reporter: did that happen? >> it did not. >> reporter: according to the lawsuit, tilson died from dehydration less than two weeks after his arrest. >> he had to go two to three days with an inadequately amount of water. two to three days. >> reporter: there was another woman who died. >> jamie henry. >> reporter: jamie henry's family said she was found dmed her cell less than three months

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after tilson died. she was arrested for violating probation. davis said the jail failed to treat the mother of one for symptoms of withdrawal and said she died of complications related to cocaine and morphine. robert thompson and jamie henry were together for ten years. >> she blatantly asked them for help. i mean, i know her better than anybody do. if she's sick, i know she's not going to keep her mouth closed. >> reporter: glairvee donaldson is her father. you believe someone needs to pay for what happened. >> payback, that's not going to solve anything. >> reporter: somebody should be held responsible. >> current. >> reporter: davis says the rock dale county sheriff's office has a long-standing and pervasive lack of control over employees. local news reports link certain deputies to various alleged crimes including illegal drug distribution, stalking, sexual battery, and illegal firearms. >> it's clearly something going on in that jail. >> reporter: davis is now calling on the department of

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justice to investigate the deaths. >> if there isn't justice for shali, for jamie henry, how can we know that people will be safe? >> good question. cbs news reached out to the rockdale county sheriff's office for comment, and they referred us to a statement from last month. in the statement the sheriff's office said they will review and act on any findings once all investigative reports are done. they say their hearts go out to the families of those affected. i got to tell you, i'm reminded of what was said by a police officer that i interviewed i think about a year or two ago. he said whenever you're dealing with someone, whenever you arrest someone, you have to always look at them as human beings first before you can see them as a criminal. that could be somebody's father, somebody's brother, you name it. to sit in somebody's jail for three days without water is unacceptable on every level. >> not one but two deaths. someone clearly dropped the ball here. >> there are a lot of questions for the rockland county jail that need answering. >> thank you.

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nasa faces backlash because will not take place as planned on friday due to a problem with spacesuit sizes. what? ahead, how the space agency is responding to that criticism. and if you're on the go, subscribe to our "cbs this morning" introducing the all new chevy silverado. it's the official truck of calloused hands and elbow grease. the official truck of getting to work, and getting to work. of late nights, and date nights. it's the official truck of homecoming, and coming home. the all new chevy silverado. the strongest, most advanced silverado ever. it's the official truck of real people.

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in our "you've got to be kidding me" story of the morning, nasa's now responding to criticism after announcing the first-ever all-female space walk will not happen this week because only one appropriately sized spacesuit is ready. unbelievable. astronauts ann mcclain and christina koch were set to make history friday by walking together to install lithium ion batteries for the space station's solar panels. the project will still take

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place, but a male astronaut will walk in mcclain's place. janet shamlian explains. >> reporter: nasa cincinnati anne mcclain and christina koch might have to wait longer to walk into the history books. the first all-female space walk will not go on as planned because of an issue with the size of the board e station. mcclain o earth and wore a medium. she said it gave her more mobility, needed to replace the batteries. the problem is, koch wears the same size. although there are some in storage, it would take a lot more time to remedy the problem. >> we need to try so hard to stick to the crew. >> reporter: nick hague will join koch on the 6.5-hour mission. >> what's important is there's two crew members that are

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comfortab comfortable, that go out the hatch, complete the activities successfully, and make it safely back inside. that's my number-one priority. >> reporter: many criticize the change on social media, including hillary clinton who tweeted, "make another suit." nasa says a future space walk involving both women is still possible. earlier this month, mcclain talked about the importance of future generations seeing female astronauts taking lead roles. >> it's important for a lot of people to look on the and see someone that looks like them. >> reporter: fewer than one-third of nasa's 38 astronauts are women. koch will become the 14th american woman to walk in space out of more than 200 space walks total. >> if i can be an inspiration to any child that wants to grow up and be in space exploration i'm all for it. >> we love nick hague. we love him. i'm sorry, you can't get a medium suit in less than 12 hours? >> make another suit. >> ridiculous. >> just nip it. tuck -- you know. >> yeah.

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>> stitch it. whatever needs to happen. >> call us. call us, nasa. >> anne mcclain, you'll get your turn. anne will get her turn very he including how mixed martial arts star conorcgregor reportedly faces new legal tro su the heaviest rain the heaviest rain with the afternoon cold front will push through and we will have some breaks with isolated thunderstorms. showers on thursday and drier and sunnier weather for the end of the week. this portion of "cbs this morning" sponsored by -- i had this chest cold, but my medicine kept wearing off.

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casualties. the israel's national election begins less than two weeks. an official says an 18 years old was shot dead during clashes. >> the man accused of kidnapping 13-year-old jamie closs is expected to plea guilty when he's arraigned. that's what he told a minneapolis tv station, prosecutors say jake patterson murdered closs's parents in october. he's accused of holding closs captive for three months before she's escaped in january. if convicted, he faces life sentence. connor mcgregor is under a sexually assault allegation. he has not been charged. mcgregor announced his retirement from ufc. it was unrelated to the

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this is a kpix 5 news morning update. good morning. it is 7:56 am. i am kenny choi. the coast guard has suspended its search for a man who disappeared in rough waters off of pacifica. search crews looked for 28-

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year-old tyler collins who was last seen early yesterday morning after going for a swim with friends. a tourist may have exposed thousands to measles in santa clara county. the health department said the man visited 20 silicon valley locations between march 16 and 23rd. he has since been hospitalized. berkeley city leaders have officially banned campers and rvs from parking overnight. officials have reportedly agreed to look for alternative parking options for the homeless. we have news updates on all of your favorite social media platforms, including our website, kpix.com.

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lanes are blocked working your way in and out of san francisco because of an accident with trouble spots on the south bay across guadalupe parkway. there are troubles on the northbound side. i am tracking a cold front pushing across the region bringing rain and wind. a lot of rain offshore and in the south bay, as well.

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♪ good morning to our viewers in the west. it's wednesday, march 27th, 2019. welcome back to "cbs this morning." actor jussie charges of faking an attack on himself. ahead, rikki klieman on what made this decision so unusual and stacey abrams talks with us about the 2020er political goal. first here's today's political eye eye-opener at 8:00. >> a sudden decision to drop criminal charges against actor jussie smollett in chicago is bringing angry reaction. >> the lead prosecutor who made

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the decision -- >> people think smollett is guilty but he says this move proves his innocence. >> the case gets dismissed by the prosecution, unusual is almost not strong enough of a word. >> michael avenatti could face nearly 100 years in prison. he maintains his innocence and believes he'll be exonerated. >> i'm very much looking forward to the truth coming out. >> while washington awaits the mueller report president trump and his rivals agree they would rather talk about health care. >> they will give $75 million to the state of oklahoma where critics worry that any settlement sets a dangerous precedent for the state still suing the drug-maker. >> the smiles and hugs shared by kellyanne conway and sarah sanders sum up the joyous feeling at the white house now that the special counsel robert mueller has completed his investigation. >> huck-averbuck tweeted out this "the new york post" tweeted out this madness. how many people got it wrong and

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as soon as i saw this think it was worth my time until i made it to the big dance. i'm a conference champ, baby! >> i'm john dickerson with bianna golodryga and alex wagner. norah and gayle are off. chicago's mayor and police superintendent say they are furious that actor jussie small seth no longer facing criminal charges. prosecutors dropped all 16 felony counts yesterday with little explanation. >> smollett is accused of faking a racist homophobic beating allegedly because he was unhappy about his pay on the show "empire." he denies that. >> i've been truthful and consistent on every single level since day one. i would not be my mother's son if i was capable of one drop of what i have been accused of. >> our own adriana diaz asked the lead prosecutor why he dropped the charges. >> do you believe he's innocent? >> i do not.

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>> you believe he's guilty? >> yes. >> why drop the charges? >> violent crimes and the drivers of violence. jussie smollett is the neither one of knows. >> chicago mayor rahm emanuel called the decision a whitewash of justice. >> our legal analyst rikki cleeman is here with us. if prosecutors think he's guilty why drop the charges and why not inform the police superintendent or the mayor ahead of time? >> there's a mouthful in that question. number one is this is totally not typical. they have tried to put it off to the public as this being the usual course of business for a nonviolent first-time offender, go two days of community service, forfeit your bond of $10,000 and you're like everybody else. this is an example of justice for the rich and powerful versus justice for the poor. i don't see it as any different from the rich people who got their kids into college by untoward means because they had

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money and power and what you have here. yes, they could have come to an agreement, the defense lawyer and the prosecutor to do something like what we call continued without a finding or an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal. these are legal terms where you get six months to be able to be on good behavior and you would pay much more money. you would think that you would have restitution here. you would admit guilt. you would do an apology to the entire city of chicago. none of that happened here, and how does it get worse? i'm sorry, john, i can't happen. >> go. >> how does it get worse? who gets out there first, the defendant and his lawyer get out there first. he gets to proclaim his innocence so we all think or at least the lawyer in me thinks, well, what was wrong with the case? was there something wrong with the brothers? did they go arrest brother if he is then telling the truth, and it's only hours later that the prosecutor corrects this.

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>> also, rikki, prosecutors and police have to work togetas. doesn't this create bad blood for other cases because of what you just described? >> there is no doubt about that. let's take a look at what happened yesterday. the superintendent eddie johnsson, mayor rahm emanuel, where are they? they are at a police graduation. they have new recruits coming into the department. they are then informed of this decision. if you are a polluter dealing with someone who has cost the city all of these resources, all of these man hours and you have known that this is a crime of lying to the police, what are the people you would notify first before you did such an amazing act as this one? you would notify the police that this is what you intend to do. you would have the police come to a press conference with you, and in this case, lest we forgot

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the fbi was also looking at this. >> these were charges brought out by a grand jury. >> you returned an indictment for 16 counts, how do grand jury jurors feel in the future about their word being disregarded? this is not the typical nonviolent first-time offender. this is a person who according to this prosecutor, we just heard him, is guilty, was not the victim of a hate crime, who took a look at what happens in the city of chicago, that is roiled by race, and what he does is he casts himself in the role of a victim, turns the city inside out and then it turns out that he's lying. when mayor emanuel says this is a whitewash, when jedi johnss-- edd

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edd eddie johnsson come forward, we know the prosecutors said he was guilty because he wanted publicity. we end up with no public forum, something that's done quickly and quietly in an emergency and not have a trial where they wanted a camera in court to clear his name. >> and the case is sealed per the defense's request. so many questions. i know we're all curious about this, but i want to turn to another legal case that is making a lot of headlines. >> and a lot of emotions. >> and a lot of emotions for all of us. >> attorney michael avenatti who is denying trying to extort money from nike. of a net, of course, is accused of threatening to reveal damaging information about the sports giant if it did not pay him millions of dollars. this is what avenatti told jericka duncan about that case >> you say you were working on behalf of your client, but wer llg nike accordi to this complaint, you either hire me or i'm going to say something. >> if what they allege

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constitutes extortion you'll have to go around the country and arrest tens of thousands of lawyers in this country for extortion. >> but there are legal experts who say you crossed the line. >> and there's legal experts that say i was well within the line as an aggressive attorney. there's many that say that, and the fact of the matter is this is not extortion. people make threats all the time. >> what was it? >> people make threats all the time in connection with trying to settle a case? >> you said it was not extortion. >> it was not extortion. >> what was it? >> attempting to settle and resolve a dispute on behalf of a client and make sure that the right thing was done. >> rikki, you're a legal expert r.there tens of thousands of lawyers across the country doing what michael avenatti alleges? >> not exactly. i think there are many aggressive lawyers throughout the country who will yell and scream and threaten that if you don't settle this case, you're going to be found liable, and you'llaying me tens of millions of dollars.

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that's very typical. i've had people scream at me from time to time while i was practicing law i negotiations, but i've never heard, and this is where in the new york case, as opposed to the california case, which is much more straight up, in the new york case he does have a defense, and he was very good in this interview with jericka. he is calm. he is thoughtful. he explains that this is what lawyers do, and i'm sure there are a lot of lawyers who will agree that you can be tough, and he's a good lawyer who has gotten some big settlements, butgy back to where i started on this case. it's one thing to be a tough negotiator. knows another thing to do a squeeze play into time that you have to get this answer to me or i'm going to expose you on monday for your bad conduct, and i want a million for my client but i want a million five for

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me. >> i have longevity. >> keep going, friend. >> one of the nation's largest wireless provideers is set to release new technology to stop robo callers from reaching your phone. this technology cannot come fast enough. verizon is reportedly set to offer customers free spam-blocking tools by the end of the week. yahoo. americans received an estimated 47.8 billion robocalls in the year 2018. more than 46% of those were from scammers, and anna werner shows us the wireless industry's efforts to hang up on unwanted calls. anna, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. verizon announced in january it would ultimately offer free call-blocking tools that. month alone there were nearly 5.2 billion robocalls, a historic high. verizon also offers a premium service called filter that includes spam detection and reporting features for roughly $3 a month. it says it will now offer some of those features for free. this is part of a national push

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to meet fcc protocols that allow variers to verify calls with a digital fingerprint and weed out potential spoof phone numbers. at&t and comcast announced last week they successfully conducted caller verification tests using the fcc guidelines. in november t-mobile took us behind the scenes of its robocaller crackdown. we saw its scam i.d. program which helps customers screen and block problem calls. a company vice president called efforts to stop scammers an the ftc chairman ajit pai has asked carriers to adopt the robocall protocol by the end of the year. last month he threatened regulatory intervention if they failed to meet that deadline. bianna? >> all music to my years. can't happen soon enough. anna, thank you. stop calling us. ahead, a community facing one of the country's most serious measles outbreaks is taking extraordinary action to contain the disease. how unvaccinated children are

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now being good wednesday morning to you. we are tracking rain and wind. a cold front is pushing across the bay area and bring you the return of the rain and windy conditions. we have seen gusts up to 35 miles per hour. the heaviest rain will push in 8 am until 11 am. a few showers and an isolated thunderstorm is possible this afternoon but we will see some breaks, as well. we have dryer and sunnier weather by the end of the week.

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there's more news ahead including stacey abrams here with us in studio 57. how she's building a national profile with democrats even though she was not elected governor of georgia and in our profiles in service series, vladimir duthiers show how the marines are using women power. >> field artilleries called king

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of bad. now the air force says an increasing number of women are manning the howitzers like the one you see behind me making this part of critical combat unit. >> ready one. >> that story coming up on "cbs this morning." pars i'm working to keep the fire going for another 150 years. ♪ to inspire confidence through style. ♪ i'm working to make connections of a different kind. ♪ i'm working for beauty that begins with nature. ♪ to treat every car like i treat mine. ♪ at adp we're designing a better way to work, so you can achieve what you're working for. ♪ i looked for realed ingredients for real taste.

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...you realize you can totally eat out more? that's yes for less. get the latest spring trends for your home at 20 to 60 percent off specialty store prices. at ross. yes for less. . in today's "morning rounds" one suburban community's desperate measures to limit the spread of measles. the state of emergency went into effect overnight in rockland county new york. it bans unvaccinated children from most public places. 153 people have been infected by measles in the county since last october. 48 of those infections occurred

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this year. nikki battiste is in west nyack rockland count we how officials hope the controversial ban will contain the disease. nikki, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. starting today the shopping mall behind me is one of several public places that rockland county will not allow unvaccinated minors to enter. the outbreak is concentrated in the orthodox jewish community and now the county is telling the parents to get your children vaccinated or keep them home. >> my goal is to have this measles officially eradicated again in 2019. >> reporter: rockland county executive ed day says he's determined to end the worst males outbreak in the country. his emergency order went into effect at midnight banning unvaccinated children under the age of 18 from entering public places, including schools, shopping malls, restaurants and houses of worship. it does not apply to outdoor spaces. is the this more of a scare tactic, or are you expecting to

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actually prosecute people? >> we're not expecting to prosecute anybody. it is an attention-grabber. i wouldn't call it a scare tactic. we're look at people to understand the severity of what we're facing. >> reporter: rockland county is facing the state's longest measles outbreak since the disease was officially eradicated in 2000. day says more than a quarter of children 1 to 18 years old in rockland county are unvaccinated. >> we're still getting people infected. exposures are still happening, in some cases incareer, and we're meeting resistance in trying to solve it. >> reporter: peaceles is highly, highly contagious. >> reporter: our dr. jon lapook says 90% of people exposed if not vaccinated will come down to it. >> the kicker is days before coming down with the rash. >> reporter: the disease has been spreading rapidly nationwide. there's 333 confirmed cases of the measles across 15 states so far this year, nearly surpassing

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last year's total already, and just yesterday health officials in silicon valley issued a warning that an international traveler may have exposed thousands of people there to the disease. ed day says the decision to announce his county's ban was an easy one. >> reporter: the best thing is to attack this disease with every tool disposal. >> reporter: critics of the san say it infringes on civil liberties and can be unconstitutional. it will last for 30 days or until parents decide to get their child a peacele vaccine which is at least 93% effective. any parent of an unvaccinated child who violates the ban could face up to a $500 fine or up to six months in jail. bianna? >> definitely an attention-grabber, as he has said. a really frustrating story to cover. nikki, thank you. michelle obama's memoir is on pace to shatter a book publishing sales record.

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look who's good morning. i am meteorologist mary lee tracking a cold front bringing rain and wind. here is high def doppler. you can see the rain pushing across the north bay into the san francisco peninsula. moderate to heavy rainfall over st. helena into petaluma right over the richmond san rafael bridge into san rafael, also across the golden gate into daly city, san bruno, a wet start to the day in south san francisco and across the south bay right over cupertino and

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saratoga. let's time it out for you on futurecast. taking you through the day, here we are at 9 am with more rain, especially in the san francisco peninsula and for the east bay with a cold front pushing through. by 10 am the rain is in the south bay. this afternoon we are looking at some breaks with isolated showers. we could see an isolated thunderstorm, as well. we will see decreasing showers as we go through the day. we will pick up a 10th to a quarter inch of rain, thursday we will have showers but drier and sunnier into the weekend. baby sloth videos on youtube. amy, do you uh mind giving someone else a turn? oh... yeah i made myself a little comfortable here. i got a pizza for amy! yes, that's me! xfinity lets you search netflix, prime video, and youtube with the sound of your voice. and i don't have my wallet, so... that's simple. easy. awesome.

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welcome back. it is 8:27 am as you hit the roadways this morning. if you plan on taking the nimitz freeway it is stop and go on the southbound side. here is a live look at the bridges. traffic is getting busy on the bay bridge with a wind advisory in effect, especially working your way across the upper deck on that span. just a heads up. the san mateo bridges getting busy, as well. over to the nimitz freeway we go. we have stop and go traffic is because of an earlier accident on the southbound side near 66. you might be slowing down more than usual for spectators slowing as you head through there. if your headed south from hayward, you would see brake

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lights in that portion of the freeway. let's go back to the bay bridge, westbound just past the toll plaza we have a crash or a broken down vehicle blocking at least the slow lane. that is making a busy ride heading into san francisco. we have a closer look at the toll plaza. it is wet and windy with the wind advisory in effect for the bay bridge. out of san francisco on the northbound 101 and the commute direction we have stop and go traffic and south 101 just past 280. you have at least two lanes blocked for an injury crash involving a motorcycle. that is causing a backup from 280. it is slow making your way toward the connector. dollars at america's best. urance ♪ inside out got ♪ i'm feeling good. ♪ doing it my own way, ♪ every single day.

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♪ and it feels good to feel good. ♪ start your day with sunsweet amazin! prune juice. and feel good. welcome back to "cbs this morning." it's time to show you some of the morning's headlines. the "associated press" reports president trump today will present his eighth medal of honor and his first to an iraq war veteran. the award will be given to the family of army staff sergeant travis adkins of bozeman, montana. adkins died in 2007 while saving fellow soldiers from an iraqi suicide bomber. the "wall street journal" reports former first lady michelle obama's memoir has sold nearly ten million copies globally since its november release. obama's publisher, penguin

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random house, says "becoming" could become the bestselling memoir ever. the publisher says it's to release former president obama's presidential memoir this year. stiff competition. good luck to you, president obama. the "washington post" reports republican senator mike lee used a series of bizreops t ambitious green new deal climate plan. on the senate floor yesterday, lee used posterboards featuring cartoons and even an image of former president reagan riding a dinosaur and shooting a machine gun. he said the image had as much to do with the u.s. winning the cold war as the green new deal does with climate change. instead he said americans should have more babies. >> this is the real solution to climate change -- babies. problems of human imagination are not solved by more laws. they're solved by more humans. more people mean bigger markets

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for more innovation. >> one of the deal's sponsors, congresswoman alexandria ocasio-cortez tweeted that her plan was based on hours of research. she said, quote, that's what you do when you take your job seriously and respect the chamber. the republican-controlled senate voted down the green new deal 57-0 in a procedural vote. and "sports illustrated" reports on the only person in the world with a perfect ncaa tournament bracket so far. who is that person? he is someone special, the odds of that are one in 281 trillion if you're counting. ohio neuropsychologist greg nigel, greg nigl correctly predicted the outcomes of the first 48 march madness games. nigl shatters the previous record streak of 39 games. nigl is a michigan fan but his bracket has con zaga winning the tournament. he says -- gonzaga winning the tournament. he says he almost did not fill out the bracket. >> i was pretty sick with a bad

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cold on thursday. i woke up to call into work, i took cold medicine, and i almost went right back to bed, but i knew i had two more brackets to fill out. >> thank goodness he did, nigl. the sweet 16 matchups begin here tomorrow on cbs. >> the power of cold medicine. former -- >> nyquil nigl. former georgia house minority leader stacey abrams is considering joining the crowded democratic field for president. abrams gained national attention during her battle to win the hotly contested georgia race last year which she narrowly lost. she earned the support of former president barack obama and oprah winfr winfrey. her well-received state of the union rebuttal this year further fueled speculation of a presidential or senate bid. in her newly reissued memoir, "lead from the outside: how to build your future and make real change," abrams reflects on her career in politics and business. she also shares advice for those who want to follow in her

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footsteps. stacey abrams joins us first on "cbs this morning" since her book was reissued. welcome. >> thank you so much. >> so you had lunch with joe biden who's thinking about running, too. it was -- >> i did. i did, indeed. >> it was the thinking about running lunch. and you said -- you talked about the presidency and what it means. >> i absolutely -- >> what does the presidency mean right now? >> i think the presidency is about reaasserting who we are as a nation, our capacity for cohesion, and our ability to talk about marginalized abilities with those who are outsiders without excluding the majority. there's a false dichotomy that you can talk about those left out or talk about those who feel like they're being left out, but you can't talk about both. one of the vibrant warts of -- parts of our conversation was i believe you can talk about identity and that means you can include everyone. everyone wants to be seen, and the best politicians are the ones who can bring people together, not by pretending we all have the same issues, but by recognizing the obstacles that some of us face and the

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opportunities that all of us want. >> is this the -- you're saying that's challenge for the nation. is this the political challenge for democrats running for president because speaking about identity is important in primaries for both parties, but it can sometimes cause parties to be defined by those and identity conversations happening within the clubhouse and the country, some say they're talking to themselves? >> i push back on that. we have to recognize that identities pervade all of us. we each come to our space with our histories and challenges. the worst political spaces are the ones where you think that everyone has the exact same narrative and everyone has the exact same challenges. that doesn't exist in a household let alone in a nation. when we are best, it's when we acknowledge that everyone faces obstacles but we want the same thing. we want education, we want economic security, we want health care. the issue is having leaders of both parties who understands that there are different obstacles and barriers and have plans for how you get there, but

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they never forget we're all going in the same direction. >> during the launch with the vice president, did the conversation of a potential future ticket between the two of you, vice president, you being his vice president on the ticket? >> we talked about a lot of things, but that was not the core issue. >> okay. >> joe biden's record has come under a lot of scrutiny. his position on school desegregation, his vote during the clarence thomas confirmation, his position on anita hill last night, he said i wish i could have done something to get her a fairer hearing. is that legitimate scrutiny? did you talk to him about that? does that matter in 2020? >> so, i'm having lunch and coffee and drinks and water with everyone run for president who is willing to talk to me. part of the ability to do that is i'm not going to talk about what we talk about. i will give broad brushstrokes. >> as a politician -- >> here's what i would say -- in my book, i talk about the fact that we make mistakes based on

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the information we have at the time, and one of our responsibilities is to create space for people to understand that mistakes happen and that you can grow. and what i hope anyone running fr president will do is acknowledge mistakes made, talk about what you've learned, and then apply the new lessons to how you intend to lead. >> let me ask you about the barr report. you gave an interview where you commented on it. barr's interpretation of the report, right. and you said that i tend to think it's like having your brother summarize your report card to your parents. we should be deeply suspicious, especially since he had 12 tardies and at least three times ditching class. what are you trying to say with that? >> i'm saying that it is inappropriate to assume that we know what the mueller report says until we can read the mueller report. having someone whose job it is is not simply to -- he's the attorney general but he became attorney general in part because he chastised mueller during the earlier process. i do not think we can assume

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that what he is reported in his summary is an accurate summer of the report. the best way -- summary of the report. the best way to understand the report is to read the report. my belief is until we've seen the report, we don't know what it says. >> one quick piece of political business. you said you've been meeting with and having drinks with everybody who's thinking about running for president. when you drink alone, are you having drinks with somebody who is thinking about running for president? >> good question. >> yes, we sip english breakfast together in the morning. i am deeply appreciative of those who have encouraged me to run for a variety of offices. i will say the presidency wasn't top of mind to begin with, but i think the success i had in the election transforming the electorate, the work i've done as a civic and political leader petitions me to be just -- positions me to be just as capable as becoming president of the united states as anyone running. my responsibility, though, is to make sure i'm running for the right reasons and at the right time. this is not the conversation i was having with myself last

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year. >> what was the most important takeaway for you having lost that -- the governor's race? what was most important -- >> i would like to go see i didn't win the governor's race. here's why i see a distinction -- part of how leadership evolves, especially for those of usm oside the normtive space is that we have to characterize what happened. i was not successful in part because i think there was mismanagement and malfeasance in the election process. but i also have an obligation to think about what i can do better next time. and in my mind, the first responsibility was to not concede because that validated a system that i do not believe was proper. but i also had the responsibility to take action because it's insufficient to simply complain about what you don't like if you're not doing something to fix it. and that's why i launched verified action. it's why we launched fair count, looking at the census process. my job and my takeaway is that i have more work to do. and my next responsibility is to figure out how that plays out in

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the electoral space. >> there are a number of women, there are a number of minority candidates running for the democratic nomination. is this the year one of them ends up being the nominee? >> i believe so. and to me, the conversation that led to me writing "lead from the outside" is that we have to start evolving what the face of leadership looks like. that means we have to have practical tips. it's not enough to dream that you want to be things. there.ve to have a pathwa d what i've tried b --ly interesting. but -- >> more than vaguely interesting. >> really i want to talk about how i made mistakes, how i figured out solutions, how i hacked opportunity because the way we get to a changing and more vibe rants recession of who we're -- vibrant understanding of who we are is when people who don't find themselves part of the conversation can be part of the conversation. >> and did we mention you're also a romance novelist? thank you.

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"lea good wednesday morning to you. the rain and wind are back. a cold front is pushing across the bay area bringing the return of the rain and kicking at the wind. we have seen gusts to 35 miles per hour this morning. the heaviest rain with the actual cold front pushes through between 8 am and 11 am. this afternoon a few showers and isolated thunderstorms are possible, so our sun breaks. we have sunnier and drier weather by the end of the week.

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our "profiles in service" series highlights americans who dedicate their lives to helping others. the u.s. marines' iconic tag line is the few, the proud. the face of the service is changing. just over three years ago,

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then-defense secretary ash carter wanted all military units to combine units. now positions previously only open to men are open to women. vladimir duthiers went to the marine corps's base in camp pendleton in california to meet the women working those jobs. >> reporter: good morning. women have been a part of the marine corps for more than 100 years, but they haven't been allowed to fill every position. just under 9% of enlisted marines are women. but the female trailblazers we met hope that number will continue to rise. we embedded with their battery during a recent training exercise. it caktakes minutes to set up a is one of the u.s. military's most effective weapons. allowing marines to hit an enemy target up to 19 miles away. >> fire! >> reporter: it takes up to six marines to load and fire this m 777 howitzer.

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the marine corps says increasingly a number of those marines are women. >> verified. >> reporter: lance corporals julianna yakovac and amber potter are field cannoneers. why did you choose field artillery? >> aim a physical person. i knew that i didn't want a desk job. i wanted to be out here training and getting down and dirty, firing the big guns, which is exactly what we do. >> go! >> me personally, i want a challenge. >> reporter: have you found that challenge? >> i found that challenge. >> reporter: potter and yakovac are one of 120 enlisted marines working jobs that were previously off limits to women under the combat exclusion law. >> fire! >> reporter: now their artillery battery trains day and night for battle. has anybody ever treated you differently because you're a woman? >> oh, no. >> reporter: no one ever has? >> nope. honestly, they push me, motivate me to do better. >> post! >> reporter: first lieutenant virginia brody always dreamed of serving as a field artillery officer, but the law was still in place as she prepared to

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graduate from the u.s. naval academy. >> it was so frustrating. it was like no matter what we did, we could do the hikes, physical tests, outperform men and women it didn't matter. i knew there was nothing i could do except wait. >> reporter: you've thrown your hat in the ring several times for artillery. all of a sudden that komt bat exclusion rule went away. >> yes. i was lucky, right place, right time. >> reporter: it would take more than luck. >> verified -- >> reporter: candidates need to show they can meet the standards for the job in a timed drill. to win a coveted position you've got to prove that you can lift 1 0r 5-pound rounds, carry them, and place them into this truck at least five times. >> i think it was more challenging for me to pass that test than it was for a male to pass that test. but i put the work in, and eventually got there. >> reporter: she was one of two women at the field artillery basic officers course and went on to graduate first in her class of 137.

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she is now the first female artillery executive officer. what's it like to command men and women? >> so i love being an executive officer. at the end of the day, they want a leader who cares and someone who cares about their job and well-being. and i don't think you limit that to gender. >> reporter: but she knows changing nothose perceptions ma take time. in september, former secretary of defense, marine general james mattis, said "the jury was still out on women serving in domestic bat units, but the department of defense was trying to give it every opportunity to succeeds." those critical of lifting the law say adding women to the units could hurd cohesion and prompt -- could hurt cohesion and prompt the corps to change standards. others say the gender equ qualifications -- >> can you perform the

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specialty? it's adding that piece. >> reporter: since the removal of the combat exclusion rule, has this been a success? >> for the first time in the marines it has been. while the numbers are small, i think the point is now it's available. i have no doubt that you'll see lieutenant colonel brody sitting in this chair a few years from now. >> reporter: what do you hope for the future of the marine >>mes? i'd like some more female co-workers. i want them to be viewed as marines and for there to be a female in a unit, for no one to think twice about it. >> the marines' general-neutral standards were developed after a nine-month-long experiment where men and women were measured side by side in combat simlations. as for the women we profiled, tough-as-niles potter and yakovac, their battery could be deployed in the next year. >> thank you. colonel brody, by the way, is my producer's lifelong friend. fantastic. we will be right back.

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that does it for us. my producer, kara cordie, it's her last

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good morning. i am meteorologist mary lee tracking the rain and the wind will. a cold front is triggering the rain for us, especially for the north bay. let's zoom in when you can see from santa rosa down to petaluma, inverness across san rafael, mill valley, and also into the san francisco peninsula over san francisco, daly city across the east bay from oakland, south san francisco san mateo and for the

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south bay. light rain from san jose, cupertino and saratoga. let's time it out for you with this cold front at 10 am pushing across the rest of the san francisco peninsula as well as the east bay. by 11 am we are in the south bay with the heavier rain is a cold front pushes through. by the afternoon at 3 pm a few isolated showers could see the chance of a thunderstorm, as well. we will see sun breaks with decreasing showers as we head through the day. unsettled weather on thursday with scattered showers, just enough instability because of a trough of low pressure sticking around tomorrow. finally, sunshine and drier weather mag beginning friday and into the weekend. temperatures will warm up into the low 70s by saturday and sunday. that continues into monday. we have a traffic update coming up right after this break.

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we have a wind advisory and a fax so you will see slightly slower speeds cutting through

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there. we are backed up from the mays making the trek out of oakland into san francisco. the richmond-san rafael bridge is loaded up, as well. we have a slow ride, give yourself about 20 minutes to make that commute out of the east bay. out of marin county, southbound 101 out of petaluma is sluggish. you can see brake lights into san rafael. from there, it eases up okay as you hit the golden gate bridge. traffic is clear across the span as you head into the city. we have wet weather, especially in the north bay right now. the san mateo bridge looks okay working your way westbound, just a little busy making the connector to the 101. we have a crash at 101 and summit. lookout for delays out of fremont and 680. oh, snap!

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jonathan: say what? - let's make a deal, wayne! wayne: you're going to tokyo. tiffany: more cars! jonathan: a new jaguar! - big deal! wayne: $75,000! who wants some cash? - big deal of the day! wayne: y'all ready for season ten? let's go! jonathan: it's time for "let's make a deal." now here's tv's big dealer, wayne brady! wayne: hey, everybody, welcome to "let's make a deal." wayne brady here. thank you so much for tuning in. i need four people, let's make a deal. let's go. let's see, hey. next, in, in the gray right there, in the gray. come on over here.